Corded Seat Stool

Often times I come across a not-so-pretty find and wonder how I could enhance or transform it. When I decided to take this stool, I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do with it just yet. It was only one stool with no other matching companion so what was I to use this for?

Plant stand? Side table? Maybe a plant stand? With my increasing number of plants I bring home, I could use another stand. Inside or out? Hmmmm…will have to give it some thought. Still indecisive. It took a couple of years literally and then it came to me. Good ideas come to those who wait, right? 🙂

Corded or rope baskets can be found just about everywhere in a variety of sizes, round, square, with and without handles and commonly made of cotton cording or jute rope wrapped in fabric, dyed or not. You must have seen them. Many look like this. (Image courtesy of schneiderpeeps.com)

So you now where I’m going with this.

Materials used:

cotton cording

decorative fabric

glue stick

glue gun

spray paint

I’ve got a crush on this gold metallic finish. Mmmmmya.

First order of business is to clean up this stool to be paint ready. I used a paint remover to soften and loosen the old paint making it easier to scrape off. With a fine steel wool, I sanded any remnants of paint making it as smooth as possible before applying the paint.

I gave the legs two coats of spray. Notice I didn’t need to paint the seat since it’s going to be covered anyway.

While the paint is drying, I cut strips of fabric to wrap around the width of cord at random placements. The glue holds the fabric in place.

See the cord pile? I purchased 25 meters and thought I had plenty. Turns out I was about a meter short of cord. Note: ALWAYS purchase a little extra just in case!

Covering sections of the cord with the decorative fabric to add some colour.

Using the glue gun, I add beads of adhesive to the seat and to adhere the cording.

By the way, I sprayed the cording with Scotch Guard so it’s repellent to stains. Not that I plan on resting a glass of wine on it but ya just never now! 😉

Using clothing line fabric would avoid me having to use a stain repellent but I liked the natural look of the cording.

Different huh? I’m not sure it needs a purpose, except to sit here and just look pretty.